George i



G. 1. R001"; GAR BRAKE.

(No Model.)

No. 555,890. Patented 553, 1595.

iINirEn STATES ATENT Orricn.

GEORGE I. ROOT, OF OTTAIVA, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN KERR, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent- No. 555,890, dated March 3, 1896.

Application filed January 6, 1896. Serial No. 574,490. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE I. R001, of the city of Ottawa, in the county of Carleton and Province of Ontario, in the Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-l3rakesg and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, form- IO in g a part hereof.

My invention, which will be hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, relates to brakes for railway and electric street cars and other vehicles and objects.

I 5 The object of my invention is to provide an effective brake for railway and electric street cars and other vehicles and objects that will act with great promptness.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved brake, the brake shoe and lever not being shown. Fig. 2 is a similar view 011 a larger scale, parts being broken out. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of the same on line 3 3, giving a top View of the ratchet, and Fig. 4

is a bottom view of the same.

A chain drum, barrel or spool D, formed with heads or flanges cl d and necks or journals cl cl, is held in suitable bearings which permit a rotary motion and prevent a linear 0 motion. For this purpose the upper neck, (7, the barrel being usually held in a vertical position, maybe journaled in a suitable opening in the floor of the car or vehicle-platform P, or, as shown, in a foot or collar plate F,

3 5 formed with a suitable journal-bearing f, so cured to said floor to line a suitable opening in the same. The lower neck is journaled in a step S carried upon a suitable bracket, such as B, secured to the under side of the platform. Said step may be provided with a downwardly-proj ecting tubular stem or tails. Ball-bearings, such as F S, may be provided within the journal of the collar-plate and step to ease the friction produced by lateral and vertical pressure respectively, grooves f and 3 being cut in the upper edges of the bearings. An additional one, S, may be formed in the upper face of the step and under side of the lower flange of the drum by grooves s dto receive the verticalpressure exclusively.

The drum D is provided with a lug or other projection c G to which the end of the brakechain C, adapted to coil upon said drum, is secured, A pulley or guide-roller O may be provided on the bracket B, over which said chain passes to the brake-lever operating the shoe. (Not shown in the drawings.) The upper neck, d, of the drum is extended to adapt it to receive and carry aratchet-wheel R. This may be secured by a key 01 or the extension lf may be made square and a pin or set-screw used to prevent ready separation.

A pawl or dog R, adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel and prevent the drum uncoiling, is pivoted upon an extension f of the foot-plate.

Through the center of the drum D passes a round rod or'spindle G, in the lower part of which a series of very steep screwthreads g are cut, the bore of the drum being provided with corresponding fem ale threads which the rod fits. Said rod has a vertical or linear motion only and not a rotary one, and its lower end passes into the tubular stem or tail 7 5 s of the step, which is of larger bore and merely acts as a protection to the lower end of the rod, said tail having, of course, a smooth bore to allow the end of the rod or spindle to move freely in the same, while the So threaded bore of the drum D fits the rod or spindle closely to act like a nut.

Upon the foot-plate Fis secured or formed integrally therewith a hollow post, pillar or casing F, or it may be separate and secured 8 5 to the platform or floor P direct. This acts as a casing to the rod G, the upper smooth end of the latter finding a bearing in a bore in the upper closed end f of the pillar. At the rear of the pillar is an upwardlyproject- 9o ing lug f, to which is pivoted alink Z. The upper end of the rod or spindle G is formed with a strong slotted head g, in the, slot of which is pivoted a hand-lever L, one end of which is pivoted to the link Z. 5

It will be seen that by depressing the handlever L- the drum D is readily rotated, coiling up the chain O almost instantly and tightening the brake-shoe upon the wheel or wheels. The pawl or dog B being allowed to engage the ratchet R of the drum prevents the latter turning back. IVhen the brakeshoe is to be taken off; the dog R is disengaged with the foot and the lever L is raised.

I claim as my invention 1. In acar-brake the combination of a spindle or rod prevented from rotating and having a linear movement only and provided with steep screw-threads, a drum or spool suitably journaled to have a rotary movement and prevented from having a linear motion and provided with internal or female screw-threads fitting the threads of the rod or spindle above referred to and through which said rod passes, a lever suitably fulcrumed and connected to the non-threaded end of the rod or spindle above referred to and adapted to operate said rod in a linear direction and forcing the same through the drum and causing the same to rotate, and a chain adapted to coil upon said drum, substantially as set forth.

2. In a car-brake, the combination of afoot or collar plate secured to the floor or platform of a car or vehicle and adapted to hold one end of a drum rotatively, a bracket secured to the under side of the floor or platform and adapted to carry a step for the other end of the drum, a block or step for a drum secured upon said bracket, a drum or spool provided with means to have the end of a chain secured to it and with a ratchet at its upper end and journaled at its upper end in the said footplate and stepped at its lower end upon said step and havingits central bore provided with a steep female screw-thread, a dog or pawl pivoted adjacent to the ratchet-wheel on the drum and adapted to engage the same, a rod or spindle having a steep screw-thread passing through said drum and prevented from having a rotary motion, alever connected to the upper end or head of said rod or spindle and preventing it from rotating andadapted to impart a linear motion to the same and a stand or pillar forming a guide for the upper end of said spindle and having a lug adapted to have a link pivoted to it and a link pivoted to said lug and to the end of thelever, substantially as set forth.

3. In a car-brake, the combination of a footplate secured to the floor or platform of a car and adapted to have the upper end of a drum journaled in it and provided with a groove for a ball-bearing, a bracket secured to the under side of the floor or platform and adapted to carry a block or step, a block or step upon said bracket having a circular groove with balls, a drum or spool journaled in said footplate and upon said step and having steep internal or female screw-threads, a rod or spindle having steep screw-threads adapted to pass through the female screw of said drum without rotating, a lever suitably fulcrumed and pivoted to the upper end or head of said spindle and causing it to move in a linear direction, substantially as set forth.

4. In a car-brake, the combination of a foot or collar plate F adapted to carry a drum rotatively and secured to the fioor or platform of a car, a bracket 13 secured to the under side of the platform and adapted to carry a step, a step S upon said bracket having a tubular tails, a drum D having journal-necks at the ends rotatively bearing in said footplate and step and having its central bore provided with steep female screw-threads, a ratchet-wheel secured to the end of said drum, a pawl or dog R pivoted adjacent to the ratchet and adapted to engage the same, a pillar or hollow post F above the foot-plate and forming a fulcrum for a lever and a bearing or guide for a rod, a lever L pivoted to said post or pillar by means of a link Z pivotally connected to a rod or spindle, a rod or spindle G pivoted to said lever and passing through said drum and being provided with steep screw-threads, and a chain 0 having one end secured to said drum, substantially as set forth.

5. Inacar-brake, the combination of a foot or collar plate F secured to the floor of a car and having a journal-bearing f with groove f for a ball-bearing, a step S having a journal-bearing with groove 8 for a ball-bearing, a bracket B secured to the under side of the car-floor and carrying said step, a drum having flanges cl and c7, and journal-necks d d at the ends and having its central bore pro vided with steep screw-threads and having a neck extension (1 adapted to carry a wheel, a ratchet-wheel R secured to said extension, a pawl R pivoted to said foot-plate and adapted to engage said ratchet-wheel, a rod Gr having steep screw-threads and passing through said drum, a lever L to which said rod is pivoted and a stand or pillar F, to which said lever is fulcrumed, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed in the presence of the undersigned witnesses.

GEORGE I. ROOT. \Vitnesses A. HARVEY, B. HARVEY. 

